History

The history of ETC starts at the beginning of the 1970’s in Southern Africa. At that time Hay Sorée (1936) was working there as a trainer and business advisor. He develops learning processes imbued with the power of independent thought and initiative. In1975, together with a management consultancy, the partnership Educational Training Consultancy (ETC) is formed to develop and implement educational training programmes.

In 1980 main fields of expertise of ETC are agriculture, drinking water and forestry.

In response to a concern that mainstream agricultural development is bypassing farmers in the South, ILEIA is started in 1984. The term LEISA - Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture - becomes and international acknowledged concept. ILEIA becomes and independent foundation in 2000.

In the late 1980’s ETC decides to support the increased involvement of professionalism from the South in the provision of services. As one of the first development organisations, ETC decentralises its overseas activities to local offices and establishes a truly international group. The objective is to create advisory capacity in the South, strongly rooted In the local institutional and cultural context.

Since 1990 business units in the Netherlands increasingly put attention on the 'east' and 'north', including the Netherlands itself.

In 1997 health is chosen as a new field of interest. A group of consultants together form the unit ETC Crystal.

Since 2001 ETC facilitates rural development (Netwerk Platteland).

In the years 2003 -2004 the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs rewards thematic programmes on endogenous development (COMPAS), energy, poverty and gender (ENERGIA), Acces to Sustainable Energy (EASE) and promoting local innovation (Prolinnova).